Tag: nintendo
Nintendo DSi vs Sony PSP Go!
This morning we got some details on the the Sony PSP2, which they now seem to be calling the “PSP Go!”. I thought it’d be interesting to compare and contrast it with the Nintendo DSi, which is by far Sony’s greatest competition in the handheld market.
Storage
Sony’s completely dumping the UMD format, after it’s been such a massive flop. The new PSP will instead have plenty of storage onboard – 16GB or 8GB, and let you download content to the device over the air.
The DSi still relies on cartridges, though I suspect that’s for backwards compatibility more than anything else. The latest version of the handheld lets you download content over-the-air as well, and you can store the content on an SD card upto 16GB.
Game Catalogue
For the PSP Go! there’ll be 100 titles available at launch, including Gran Turismo. Any games you own for your PSP won’t work, as the UMD format won’t be supported. All DS games are still compatible with the DSi, though there’s far fewer titles available in Nintendo’s download store.
Controls
While the DSi’s much touted touchscreen has proved a bit of a headache for some games developers, others have used it fantastically. There’s no word yet on whether the PSP Go! will have a touchscreen but it will have an analog stick, a feature sadly missing from Ninty’s handheld.
Size and shape
We don’t know how big the PSP Go! will be, yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s rather more compact than the rather chunky original PSP. What we do know is that the slide-out screen will definitely be present.
The DSi, on the other hand, is a svelte 137mm x 74.9mm x 18.9mm and 214g. It folds in half like a book, and can easily be slipped into a coat pocket. Portability is obviously an important factor for these devices.
Release date
The DSi came out on April 3rd 2009 in Europe, and in November 2008 in Japan. The PSP Go! won’t be out until the last quarter of 2009, i.e. not before October. It’ll be shown off at E3 in June, though, so we should get some pictures of it soon that we can use in place of all the concept art that we’ve been employing up till now.
Conclusions
The most important things for Sony to get right are the look of the thing, and the game catalogue available. It’d be a good move for them to implement a system where you can get your old games on download when the PSP Go! is released, otherwise I think there’ll be a certain amount of consumer backlash.
As for me, though, I’m sticking with my DS Lite. I don’t feel the push, just yet, to switch to downloadable games – particularly as backing them up seems to be an issue. When the next generation of devices comes round, I’ll be ready.
Skype client "technically possible" for the Nintendo DSi
The Nintendo DSi takes a step closer to becoming a mobile phone after Skype reps confirmed that a VoIP client is technically possible for the device. The company refused to confirm or deny the suggestion that it’s actively developing for the device.
It’s already possible to run VoIP software on the DS and DS Lite, via the installation of the SvSIP homebrew application, but homebrew applications are currently blocked on the DSi due to piracy worries.
Skype applications are already available on most mobile phones and the PSP, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the company had at least some form of DSi client in internal development.
Given Nintendo’s intention to build the DSi into more than just a gaming device, it’s difficult to see any reason why they wouldn’t approve such an app, unless they’re planning a VoIP client of their own, which has been rumoured.
(via Tech Radar)
Nintendo reveals initial offerings on DSiWare
Nintendo has just announced the games and applications that’ll be available at launch for the DSiWare channel on the new Nintendo DSi. The console, which we reviewed here, has functionality allowing for the downloading of new software. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Nintendo DSi Browser – to surf the internet on your DSi
- Paper Plane – guide a paper aircraft through a maze
- Pyoro – catch fruit using a bird’s tongue
- WarioWare: Snapped! – move your hands and face in front of the camera to complete superquick mini-games
- Art Style: AQUITE – help a diver reach the bottom of the ocean
- Art Style: CODE – numerical puzzle game requiring you to turn the DSi on its side
These titles will be available for “Nintendo points” that can be earned either by buying games or by buying them separately. Registering your console will immediately give you 1,000 points free, too. Games and apps will either be free or cost 200, 500 or 800+ points.
DS makes the Kama Sutra even more embarrassing
What could possibly be more embarrassing that being caught reading a copy of the Kama Sutra on the train? How about watching an animated couple having at it on your DS screen with an accompanying explanatory text? Yep, that’ll do it.
Before I go any further, I should point out that this isn’t an official Nintendo product and never will be. What you have here is some homebrew software unveiled as part of the annual flash card coding competition, and it will never ever sit alongside Mario Kart and Sonic on the shelves of your local game store. Which is a shame, because some of gaming’s iconic figures starring in a digital version of the Kama Sutra would both be hilarious and likely to make Daily Mail readers foam at the mouth like Pavlov’s dog chained next to Big Ben.
DSi downloadable content to rival iPhone app store?
While it has been known for a while that the Nintendo DSi will offer downloadable mini games to play off the machine’s flash memory with a shop like the Wii’s, it appears Nintendo have plans for content beyond games in a move that bears more than a passing resemblance to what Apple have done with the iPhone app store.
This is according to reports emanating from the Nintendo Developer Conference from last week, that suggest Nintendo want a whole host of useful applications that move beyond gaming. Currently the Japanese version of the DSi store only has one third party application on there – Mojipittan Shiritori Clock – the sole function of which is revealed from the last word in its title.
The Nintoaster is back – now in 16-bit
You may remember around 6 months ago we published a piece about the Nintoaster – a fine, if somewhat pointless piece of engineering ingenuity where the innards of Nintendo Entertainment System were crammed still working into the shell of a toaster with the bread-loading mechanism in tact. Given there was a five year gap between Nintendo releasing the NES and the SNES, it’s pretty impressive stuff that the same modder has a toaster based on the newer hardware already.
Other than the step up from 8-bit to 16-bit gaming, it’s more of the same, from the modder.You still switch it on by pushing down the bread switch (technical name that, I’m sure) and it still gives you a nice warming glow, even if you can’t use its original function of cooking bread.
SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: Nintendo DSi
Since its release in 2004, Nintendo has managed to shift nearly 100 million of the diminutive Nintendo DS handhelds. That places the device fourth in the best-selling-consoles-of-all-time list, behind the Playstation, (102m), Game Boy (118m) and the Playstation 2 (140m).
But Nintendo isn’t ready to give up just yet. The company will be launching the DSi on April 4th, which features bigger screens, a faster processor, two cameras and an MP3 player, among other things. I got my hands on it a few days ago, and above you can see what I thought.
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Nintendo hikes up the price of the Wii to £20 more
The credit crunch is biting hard, and it seems that it’s chomping on Nintendo particularly hard – the company is being forced to raise the price of its multi-bazillion selling Wii console. Nintendo says:
“Due to the severe and continuing depreciation of the pound, we are, unfortunately, having to raise our trade price to UK retailers of Wii hardware. The price that they then offer to consumers is, of course, up to the retailers.”
Those retailers are invariably feeling the pinch just as hard, so I suspect it’ll go straight through to the price on the ticket. The Wii currently retails for £180, and this change will add £18-£20 onto that figure. Depressing, in more ways than one.
(via Eurogamer)
Wii Fit add on to bring real live medical advice to the comfort of your own console
Now it’s not just the gym that needs to worry about what Mario and his pals are up to in your home. Yes, medical practioners of the world need now fear for their jobs, or more likely the ones in private healthcare better start saving, because Nintendo is planning an add on for the Wii Fit apparently called the “Check-Up”.
NEC, Hitachi and Panasonic have got it in development and what it does is to forward on the results from your Wii Fit activities to a medical professional…
Nintendo DS "no better than a pencil" when it comes to training your brain
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Nintendo’s much-loved Brian Training series is a FRAUD that’s of no demonstrable benefit to your brain whatsoever, which means Julie Walters and Patrick Stewart have been LYING TO US all this time.
There is no worse feeling in the world than having been lied to by Patrick Stewart.
The revelation comes from Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes, who conducted a survey comparing the effectiveness of a pencil and paper and a copy of Brain Training on the development of the maths skills a bunch of ten-year-olds.
The result? Reading, playing board games and watching documentaries on TV had as much benefit…
